HAPPY WEEKEND

Gina Dizon
Lang-ay fest set once more

BONTOC, Mountain Province – The lang-ay Festival has been scheduled in this capital town on April 1-7 with Gov. Maximo Dalog encouraging entrepreneurs to make handicrafts to be displayed and sold during the event.

The crowd-drawing annual Lang-ay was first celebrated in April 1-7, 2005. The week- long activity kicks off with an agro-industrial fair and ends with street dancing and a cultural program on the last day.

The agro-fair features different local products produced by farmers and craftsmen of the province. Among these include woven products, processed coffee, abaka products, furniture, pottery, processed foods, highland vegetables and fruits such as oranges and bananas. Original handicraft and souvenir items such as hand-woven bracelets, seed beads, clay beads, and indigenous caps come in small and rare quantities.

In a radio interview, Dalog specially urged interested entrepreneurs to make known individual interests to the provincial government for this to be taken up by the Lang-ay Development Council.

The Lang-ay Festival last year attracted some 30,000 people from the ten towns of the province, neighboring provinces, and other visitors from the country and abroad as well. Hotels were fully booked and establishments were in full swing.

The Department of Trade and Industry-Mountain Province said the Lang-ay Festival in 2007 registered sales at P3.2 million with 83 local microenterprises who participated in the agro-industrial fair.

Woven materials specially topped sales with an average of P2.5 Million worth of woven products sold in the form of costumes, props, uniforms and souvenirs sold from various weaving firms. About 300 direct workers in loom weaving were benefited. Sales continued even after the Lang-ay festival.

The culture of the place is a highlighted feature of the yearly event with the holding of a lively and colorful street dancing and cultural competition. Indigenous games and Anap di Bangan di Montanosa ( Search for Ms Mountain Province) also highlights cultural costumes which the contestants specially use. For this year’s celebration, the audience are invited to join in the street dancing.

Ballgames and a marathon are among the sports activities. A farmers’ summit along with other government services such as job fair, medical services, and passporting are among the highlights of the yearly activity.

The Lang-ay is observed in celebration of the Foundation Day of Mountain Province as a separate province from the old Mountain Province composed of Bontoc, Ifugao, Benguet, Apayao and Kalinga (BIBAK) by virtue of the passage of House Bill 1526. The provincial legislative board then passed the first resolution declaring the birth of a new Mountain Province in April 7, 1967. Proclamation No 144 was then signed by President Fidel Ramos on April 28, 1993 declaring April 7 as Mountain Province Foundation Day.